


Scavenger Hunt

by Aramirandme81



Series: One Word Elaborations And One Shots [12]
Category: The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: Birthday Party, Family, Going all out, Having cool brothers, Kids, Mike dressed as a Pirate, Only they have fun with it., Ty & Anders too, Young Johnsons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-25
Updated: 2014-02-25
Packaged: 2018-01-13 18:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1236406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aramirandme81/pseuds/Aramirandme81
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An elaboration on 'Words'- Scavenger hunt: Axl’s birthday parties are the best all his classmates agree. Instead of being dressed in uncomfortable cloths that they will be scolded for ever for if they get dirty, they get to wear old clothes because they go on scavenger hunts all through the yard and nearby park, following the epic real looking pirate maps and with real pirate clues and all, and then they have a BBQ with hotdogs and hamburgers, not all that girly food their own parents want them to eat. Yeah Axl’s parties are the best.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scavenger Hunt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SpyderzW3b](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpyderzW3b/gifts).
  * Inspired by [One Word At A time](https://archiveofourown.org/works/999163) by [Aramirandme81](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aramirandme81/pseuds/Aramirandme81). 



> For SpyderzW3b.   
> To say 'welcome!' and because you asked. ;-)
> 
>  
> 
> AN: Mike says to Rob that he and his brothers moved to Auckland first and that Val joined them later. This fic takes place before Val moved in with them.

****

It starts with something as innocent as a little brightly coloured card inviting Axl to a birthday party of one of his classmates. 

Axl is excited of course, he’s just started school not two weeks ago and already he’s gotten an invite to a birthday party.

Mike says that of course he can go and smiles as Axl runs to hang the card on the fridge so no one will forget.

 

At dinner a few weeks later Axl tells them all about the latest birthday party he’s been to, he’s been to three so far.

Or really he tells them about just how much cake his new friend Zeb can eat without getting sick, which is a lot apparently.

Then as his lingering sugar rush slowly wears off and everything is settling down, he utters the words that have everyone else choke on their food. 

“And it’s only two months to my birthday and then I can have a party and I get to open all those presents.”

The three elder Johnson brothers look at each other in a mild panic.

They hadn’t thought about actually hosting one of these themselves. 

“Is there anything special you would like for this party Axl?” Mike asks, he’s lost as to how this works but asking Axl what he would like can’t be wrong he thinks.

Axl is about to open his mouth when Anders interrupts him.

“Be realistic Axl, no live animals and no magician, he means food and stuff.”

Axl looks a bit put out but the look Anders sends him stops his pout before it can begin, and he seems to think about it because he actually pauses in shovelling food into his mouth.

“Well... I’d like soda. And not only grily foods, why do they only give us girly food and one piece of cake? It’s not a party if you can only have one piece!” Axl says clearly outraged at this breach of party rules someone have made. “Oh and can we please not have to dress up? It’s no fun if you can’t play because the adults doesn’t want you to get dirty.” Axl pouts and everyone knows he’s talking about the second birthday party only two weeks ago where the girls mum had been a bit extreme and had basically forbidden the children to even sit down unless it was on a chair.

“We’ll do our best buddy.” Mike promises and Axl beams and starts shovelling food again.

 

That evening after Mike has resisted the temptation to tie Axl to his bed only because Axl can be handed off to Anders for story time, the elder Johnson sinks down onto the couch with a sigh.

‘How will they do this? He’s never done anything like that before.’

Mike is still musing on how on earth he will do this when Anders and Ty comes back from putting Axl to bed. Yes Ty too, he’s five years older than Axl true, but that’s no reason to miss out on Anders reading stories.

“So?” Ty asks when Mike doesn’t say anything when they sit down beside him. Ty on the couch with him, Anders in the armchair by the window.

“I have no idea.” Mike confesses. “I’ll call Val tomorrow I think and ask her.”

Ty looks a bit sceptical and Anders snorts, loudly.

“What?” Mike asks irritated, he knows Anders doesn’t like Val for some reason.

“Val? Really?”

“What’s wrong with that? She’s a teacher she will know.”

“She will know what the parents want sure, but the kids?” Anders lets the statement hang there, making it even clearer that he doubts Val’s ability to give the kids what they want than if he’d come straight out and said so.

Mike is about to give him a piece of his mind when Ty, ever the peace maker, places a hand on his arm.

“He’s right Mike. Val is nice person,” Again Anders snorts though softer this time and both Mike and Ty ignore him, “but she’s a bit ..unimaginative.”

“Boring you mean.” Anders says and smiles when not even Mike can really come up with a good counter argument. “This is not about pleasing the parents, it’s about making sure Axl and his classmates have a good time, keep them happy and they are easier to handle believe me.” Anders says knowingly, and Mike feels a bitter stab of regret and failure that Anders probably is better equipped to handle this because he’s the one how’s looked after his brothers the longest. “Plus,” Anders continues, “you heard what Axl asked for: No girly food, no best cloths and lots of food.”

“I heard and I agree, but how do we do it?”

“Easy we find something every kid likes and make that the theme.”

“Like what?” Mike asks and has to gulp at the truly evil smirks of conspiracy Ty and Anders exchanges.

“Pirates.” Ty says.

“Pirates?” Mike asks.

“Pirates.” Anders confirms and slaps the books he’s currently reading to Axl down on the table.

Treasure Island.

 

***

 

They ask Axl the next day if he wants to know or if he would like a surprise for his party.

“You promise it won’t be all girly?”

“Promise.”

“And well get more than one piece of cake?”

“Promise.” Mike says and Anders and Ty both nod when Axl looks at them as well.

“Okay.” Axl says and smiles, “Then I’d like a surprise.”

 

****

 

The others spend a few hour planning what they should do and how they should do it, and then who should be in charge of what. 

Mike had sort of tried to take full control and do it all but neither Ty nor Anders was having any of it.

“He’s our brother too Mike.” Anders says seriously and then with a grin adds: “And you can’t cook worth shit, I know pirates were a rough bunch but we don’t want to poison the kids.”

Ty grins and Mike really wants to protest but it’s true so he caves and ‘let’ them help.

Once the rest is planned out as much as they can at the moment they all dive into their own tasks with great enthusiasm. 

 

They all three walk every paved path or dirt track in the park that’s just around the corner to find the best places for posts and such so the map can be as accurate as possible. Because there has to a map, what’s a pirate without a treasure map?

Anders is the one working on the map, the clues and the invitations.

Mike is building ‘props’ in the garage from spare or defect materials, picking up odd bits and pieces when he drives to and from work. 

And Ty looks in cookbooks for things that can be prepared in advance and in large batches for little money, and practise decorating on cardboard.

 

****

 

It’s two weeks till the party and the day for handing out invitations have come.

“So where are they?” Axl asks Mike when his brother is driving him to school, he’s quite excited and maybe a little nervous because he’s told that nosy idiot Steven that his invitations will be awesome, when really he has no idea what they will look like.

“Anders said he would bring them to you at lunch, he had to do the finishing touches today he said.” Mike says and Axl frowns.

‘Anders is making them? They aren’t store bought?’ Now he’s afraid they won’t be as good as Steven’s were, but they will be boring like Lisa’s who’s mum had just printed a page with little cakes and flags, not even in colour either.

“But...” Axl starts and Mike seems to know because he smiles at him and says: “I’m sure Anders will have one a fine job Axl. Don’t you worry.”

Axl does worry though he tries not to show it, especially not to Steven and his stupid friend Pete.

When lunch is nearly over and Anders haven’t been by yet though he’s nearly ready to cry.

Zeb does his best to be supportive and stays close.

“I bet you don’t even have any invitations.” Steven says as he comes over. “You don’t even get to have a party.” He teases and Axl is close to punching the other boy when the door opens and his brother comes in.

“Mind if I come in for a minute I have something for Axl?” Anders ask Miss King sending her that smile of his and Miss King who can be really strict only smiles and nods at Anders. 

“Hey Axl.” Anders says and comes down to where Axl’s seat is. “A man with a peg leg just dropped this off with me by mistake, it seem to be yours.” Anders winks at him and hands him a cloth sag. 

“A peg leg?” Zeb asks in wonder.

“Yep, and he had a parrot too.” Anders says grinning.

“No way.” Zeb says eyes wide, like several of the children.

“Oh yeah. Nasty thing too, tried to bit of my finger it did.” Anders says as he watches Axl struggle with the knot on the bag.

“Yeah right.” Steven snorts, or tries to he’s really quite impressed but that sounds like a pirate and those aren’t real...right?

“It did. See?” Anders says and hold out his finger that does indeed have a nasty red mark that could be from a big bird biting him.

“Wow.” Pete says and Steven elbows him.

Just then Axl get’s the bag open and pour out the contents.

A pile of small envelopes fall out. But these are not regular envelopes. They look delicate and yellow with age, and they are sealed with red wax with a stamp that looks like a pirate coin in them. 

“Wow, they look like something out of a movie.” One little girl says.

“Hey that’s my name!” One boy says and points to one envelope. 

“So it is.” Miss King says and soon everyone has been handed the one with their name on it and opened it. Though they can’t read yet they all admire the ‘piraty’ letters on the page.

“This is way better than the ones with car’s on them Steven had.” One of Axl’s classmates says and Axl feels his chest swell with pride.

He looks up from his own little letter to thank Anders but his brother is gone.

 

He does manage to catch him by surprise that afternoon when he comes home from school though.

“Anders!” Axl squeals and barrels into his unsuspecting brother like a runaway train, a very enthusiastic train but a train none the less, sending Anders right back out the door and down the stairs with a crash.

“Ouch.” Ty winces from his place on the couch and Mike can only agree that that looked, and sounded, painful.

When Mike goes to see if he has to stop any bleeding or get the car key for a hospital trip, wouldn’t be the first time that Axl’s enthusiasm have resulted in either or both of those things, he finds himself smiling instead at the sight before him.

Anders had been thrown clear of the stairs and his schoolbag have broken the fall it seems and now acts as a kind of back-lean as he lies along the ground Axl resting on top of him arms around his waist chattering a mile a minute about how awesome the cards were, and all Anders can do is give the occasional nod of agreement.

“I’m taking it Axl liked our choice of theme?” Mike says when Axl have finally run out of words and has let Anders get up and into the house.

“Yeah seems that way.” Anders agrees and winces as he swings of his schoolbag somewhat less quickly than usual. “I’m going to have ‘Webster’s Dictionary’ imprinted into my back for a week.” He complains but it’s clear to anyone who knows him that Anders is pleased with Axl’s reaction. 

 

****

 

The day finally arrives and Axl have never seen his classmates like this before.

Everyone is in worn cloths with a few holes here and there, except for two of the girls who’s just in regular cloths but have a change of clothes with them and one boy who’s trying very hard not to look sad that he’s in nice cloths.

Most of the other kids have had their parties on Saturdays but Axl’s is on a Friday straight after school so all his classmates get to ride the school bus to the stop near his house with him.

They are greeted at the door by a very convincing looking young pirate, making everyone ohh and aww it even takes Axl a few moments to recognise his brother, which he only does when Anders smirks.

“Anders?”

“Oh aye, though that’s first mate Hawkins today’. Now show me your pass and I’ll let ye in.”

“Uhmm.” Axl says not sure what Anders means.

“Ye don’t have a pass? Then ya can’t come in.”

“But, but it’s my party!” Axl says and the others nod and agree.

“That so? Well, I suppose I could let you in..if you find me something piraty I’ll let you in.” Anders says and indicates the front garden. 

The children immediately get’s to searching except for Tom how’s the boy in nice cloths and the two girl who have to change first.

“Well now, we can’t have such a fine gent go to sea, ye not at all like a pirate.” Anders says and Tom is all about to cry when Anders winks at him. “But I’m sure we can find ye something piraty to wear, and you girls can change in Axl’s room. If anyone finds me that token.”

“HERE!!” Zeb yells and comes dashing over with a bottle with a note tucked inside.

“Well that’s a mighty piraty item that, I’ll have to let you in now.” 

The children cheer.

“Right you all go put your schoolbags in the hall and I’ll take you three to change while seaman Ty makes sure you are ready to go to sea.” 

Inside Ty, also dressed in way cool pirates cloths, greets them and Anders hands him the bottle with the note.

“Well what’s this?” Ty says and takes a good look at the kids. “A bunch of landlubbers come to join our crew?”

“Aye!” Several of the kids yell already getting the idea, and Ty grins.

“Well that’s good, you’ll all make fine sailors I’m sure. But...” He walks around them and looks them over. “You don’t look like sailors nor pirates. Well have to change that.”

He takes them a bit further into the living room where there are stacks of paper and scraps of fabric and shows them how to make a pirate hat and an eye patch.

Everyone is still working on making or decorating their hat’s and patches when the last three children join in, Tom now smiling as he’s in Axl’s second oldest clothing ready to get dirty.

 

Hat’s and patches done, they all look very piraty they think.

Axl is the one who asks the good question: “What’s in the bottle?”

Turns out it’s a clue to where they can find a treasure map. Which leads to some excitement, but as Ty points out and points to a nasty looking scar on his shorts clad leg, hunting for treasure is dangerous.

“We need weapons!” One girl says and everyone agree.

Mike, also dressed as a freaking awesome pirate but NOT looking happy about it which just makes him an even better pirate, is the master of weapons in this crew so they should go see if he has anything for them in the armoury, formerly known as the garage.

He does. And soon everyone have a little foam sword, it’s amazing what you can make out of the pieces builders normally just throw away, they have to promise to behave though and only fight the enemy, since a pirate crew are all on one side. They do promise though no one is really surprised when a few pokes and small sword fights break out, that’s why it was foam swords after all.

 

Now that they are armed Anders declares Axl the captain of the expedition and volunteer himself and Ty as scouts for them. He’s very firm that if anyone doesn’t listen to them when they give an order they will be sent straight home, pirates he tells them did not tolerate disobedience and would whip or keelhaul anyone who did not listen to the captain or first mate.

“What’s keelhauling?” Someone asks and Anders tells them... Everyone promises to obey after that.

He then reads them the clue and they have to work out where the map is.

Steven is trying his best to be unimpressed and un-entertained by this but when they find the map even he has to gasp.

“That a real treasure map!” He says and touches it reverently. 

It’s a big and ancient looking leathery thing with strange markings and all manner of sea creatures and mythological beings crawling around it. And names like Shipwreck Cove and Deadman’s Woods. 

The kids are all in awe and Anders might actually be smiling with pride there, Mike observes as he looks in on them through the window from where he’s gone to ignite the grill. But Mike has seen the map and Anders really does have cause to be proud, if Mike hadn’t known his brother had made it he too would have been out looking for the treasure. But he’d been the one that dug the hole for it so he already knows what’s in the old sea chest they buried. He’d wanted to just burry a regular box but neither Anders nor Ty would hear of it.

The map found they read the clue again and they are off to the park to follow the trail. 

They walk two and two hand in hand, because even Pirates likes to know they have a buddy when going treasure hunting. Axl is in front with Zeb, then another couple of kids and then Anders, the rest of the kids and Ty bringing up the rear. Both Ty and Anders have had to relinquish their hands since apparently they are beyond cool and everyone wants to hold their hands. They only have two each though so they change ‘partners’ at every post. 

Luckily there are posts enough that everyone who wants to get’s to hold their hand at some point.

Every post holds a clue and a picture that Anders tells them a story about, all about pirates and how they lived and fought and all that.

Ty is more than happy to leave this to Anders, since he’s the better story teller and this way Ty get’s to listen as well. 

 

After Anders tells them these stories that are in fact smack full of knowledge, there is some form of task to perform.

Sometimes it’s questions to test how much the kids were listening, like: How many mates can ya’ fit into a sloop?’ or ‘What was the name of the one legged pirate in Treasure Island?’

Other times it’s learning to tie a sailors knot, which is Ty’s department.

One post they have to stick their hands into a bag and guess what’s in it. “Fish.” Ty says and the kids go: “Ewwwww!” Eyes bright with delight.

 

The kids are having a blast, as are Ty and Anders.

The only snag happens when one of the kids falls a little hard in the three legged race. But she is soon comforted by Ty blowing air on her skimmed knee and Anders giving her a comforting little hug. She doesn’t let go of him though, and he’s stuck carrying her, Ty snickering behind him, to the next post where luckily they ‘stumble across’ a fortune teller, that looks a bit like their neighbour, who magic’s the kids hurt away and then reads Axl’s palm and tells him there are treasure in his future, and then gives each of the kids a hard biscuit like thing that she explains are what most sailors ate on long sea voyages. They aren’t really, but they are as close as Ty could get without risking any of the kids lose a tooth and it settles the kids who had been a bit peckish.

The last few posts are also a great success and once they have the final clue it’s off to the place where X marks the spot. 

“GOLD!” The happy children yell when they open the chest and the shiny contents is visible.

“No it’s better, it’s chocolate!” Axl says as he picks one up and the paper shifts just enough to reveal the dark treasure within the treasure.

“YEAYH!!” The kids yell and Ty helps Axl divide the ‘gold’ equally between the kids in convenient little paper bags he just ‘happened’ to have on him.

They head back into the garden where, now ships cook, Mike, is manning the BBQ in the backyard that has been transformed into a pirate’s paradise.

The little sandbox have been expanded and now boasts a half sunken rowboat and behind that on the grass a small dingy like vessel have a lion teddy tied in front, it’s flying a white sail and a pirate flag. The swing set have been repaired and over in the shade of the big tree two poles have been hammered down and a gigantic hammock swings gently in the warm afternoon breeze.

 

The porch area have been decked out with ropes, and flags and empty bottles painted brown and with RUM spelled on them.

There are little half barrels for the kids to sit on and wooden planks resting on other barrels or bricks are the tables, no table cloths, no cutlery, only a plate and a cup for each of them, they are to eat with their fingers and NO girly food in sight.

It’s burgers, hot dogs, ribs, meat kebobs, corn and bread... well there is a little bowl of salad but only a little one. 

“Just so you don’t get scurvy.” Ty defends himself as Axl gives him a slightly displeased look. Clearly salad falls in the ‘girly’ category.

Anders grins and putting an arm around Ty’s shoulder winks at Axl and says. “Or you know you could always just have pickles on your burger and eat some corn.”

“Corn please.” Axl says immediately and Anders laughs out loud as Ty sighs and buries his face in his hands.

“Do not teach him any tricks please.” Mike begs from his place by the grill but he too is laughing.

 

The kids eat like there is no tomorrow. 

Then run around the garden and play until it’s time for the cake and presents.

 

“Wow.” Is all Axl can say as he sees the cake. Or rather as he sees the ship Ty have made in the hard but jummy chocolate cake decorated with candy and white glaze and with a bread stick mast and a little paper sail. 

“Awesome bro.” Anders says and claps Ty on the shoulder.

Axl is not too big to give his brother a huge hug, forgetting all about presents for the moment.

He’s still having the first piece himself though.

 

After the presents have been opened and shown and the cake have been all but vacuumed, the kids play some more and eat some more, and get’s Ty and Anders to answer many many questions about pirates until they get picked up by their parents, bringing home dirty cloths, a pirate hat, eye patch, sword and a full tummy and a hundred little stories and questions.

Steven is the last one to get picked up, except for Zeb who is staying for the weekend, and he loudly declares that: “This was the best party...EVER!”

Making everyone smile, though his next sentence causes a sense of panic and dread in the older three: “I can’t wait till the one next year.”


End file.
